The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has called on the Federal Government to redirect the N500 Billion approved by the National Assembly to cushion the effect of removal of fuel subsidy to revive the economy by providing good transportation system and infrastructural development.
The President of the Association, Comrade Tommy Okon, made the call at a monthly forum with Labour Writers Association of Nigeria (LAWAN) on Thursday.
How the N500b should be spent
The labour leader, who faulted the planned transfer of N8,000 each to 12 families for a period of six months by the federal government, said that only few people benefited from the cash transfer done by the administration of former president Muhammadu Buhari.
“The school feeding programmes became shameful to the extent that the FG claimed that they fed school children during holidays. When the government borrow money to distribute to Nigerians, it amounts to waste,” he said.
According to him, the policy of cash transfer by the federal government was not the best for the economy. President Tinubu, Okon said, should have allowed the fuel subsidy committee to submit their report before talking to Nigerians.
“The major challenge for Nigerians is transportation. The Federal Government should have purchased mass transit buses, which will cushion the effect of hike in price of fuel.
“The organized labour is not happy with the situation. Why are we invited to be part of the subsidy committee when our opinion will not be counted,” he said.
Comrade Okon was of the opinion that there was no loan from the World Bank that could better the lives of Nigerians.
The ASCSN President urged President Tinubu to consider paying allowances that were not taxable to workers, saying that this would enable workers to have more purchasing power.
He also urged the National Assembly to always scrutinize everything the president presented to them before approval.
“It is not everything that comes from the President that the National Assembly should approve, it must at them properly before they give their approval,” he said.
